


aphasia

by yellow_cab_it



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Character Study, M/M, My First Fanfic, Sad and Sweet, Short One Shot, most characters mentioned in passing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-07 15:19:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18413321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellow_cab_it/pseuds/yellow_cab_it
Summary: a·pha·sia/əˈfāZH(ē)ə,əˈfāzēə/nounloss of ability to understand or express speech, caused by brain damage.





	aphasia

**Author's Note:**

> a character study of Davenport thing, I've never really written any fanfic before so I hope this is good. Thank you!

To be trapped in one's own mind with no way to escape is an excruciating reality but it was the daily suffering of Davenport. He found himself somewhat lucky though, and, over the years he learned he could understand what others were trying to say to him yet if he tried to think of a way to respond he found he wouldn't be able to respond in any other word except for his name. That said, he found he could only say his name on good days. The bad days though were the ones where he tried to remember. When he tried to think of anything from his childhood until adulthood his mind began to break even further. Looking in the mirror he could see he had to be at least 200 years old but those years meant nothing because his life before the Bureau of Balance was completely leaked out of his head into the empty space in his shattered thoughts. 

Friends, lovers, enemies were gone from his mind. He couldn't help it though, he would try to force his brain to recall any events. Once he thought he saw a beach and in his hand, he was holding a nice glass of red wine then someone yelling out a name but quickly it too was eaten up by the crackling of something that refused to let him go. Davenport would end up clenching his own hair, crying in pain during these spells but there was some light at the end of the tunnel. Lucretia. She was always there to comfort him. She helped him calm down and come to his senses. Lucretia always kept him close, and for her he was thankful.  
He had little memories of how they had met but whatever hadn't been destroyed from his past she was there. She would always there to come to wake him up or send him to bed with kind words but held a deep sadness within her that was easy for him to pick up on. Whenever another reclaimer was swayed by the pull of a relic he would watch her struggle to not break for the morale of the rest of the B.O.B. Lucretia loved him, he could tell that and maybe that’s why he held onto her too. The one thing that though that meant the most to him is he felt respect from her. To the rest of the Bureau, he could tell he was nothing but a joke because all they saw was the walking stereotype of what a gnome was supposed to be— fiery orange hair that was always out of control and a well-groomed large mustache that sat proudly on his face. Davenport was a three-foot tall man who could only say a single word. He knew he couldn't hold an intimidating or impressive frame.

It was always worse with the new employees though who spoke down to him like a toddler. They weren’t trying to be condescending but his fruitless attempts to correct them were even more pronounced as he could only respond with his cursed name. Eventually, they started giving him some dignity and some level of respect but it still hurt.  
The day had gone as normal days on the base go, Lucretia was busy with work, keeping her from him, so he spent most of his time listening to Jonnah work on a new piece of music to feed the large glowing voidfish or traveling to see Avi or Boyland. Soon he watched as the town below dimmed their lights and the world started to head to bed. So he repeated the cycle he did every night and entered the public kitchen making two cups of calming smelling tea with a gentle serving of honey.  
Heading to the office he had visited nearly every day for twelve years, he reached the door and pushed it open to see the sight he was dreading. Some days he could set down the cup and they would share it in silence, others she would calmly talk about her day but some… some were like this and they were slowly becoming what outnumbered the others. He made his way over to Lucretia's desk his stomach turning into eels tying around themselves knowing that fact he wouldn’t have the right words to say to her. That he couldn't offer comfort she seemingly desperately needed all he could do was gently place, his hand on her shoulder the best he could. Causing her to finally look up at him. Her big eyes were filled with tears still young despite her being well into her fifties. “God damn it Davenport, why did I do this? I can’t do this alone anymore! I… I- what did I do to you? Do you have any memories left? Lord… I know you don’t. Not even to mention that Taako-” Davenport watched her lips move as the words she was saying were quickly replaced with a loud sound of a noise he was familiar with, after all, it was the same static that filled every minute of his life. For a second he tried to make the connection but barely a few seconds had passed before he gave up his futile attempt because of the sharp headache suddenly hitting him.  
Lucretia looked afraid and lost, like a deer in fantasy headlights. Once there was a lull in the conversation he tried his best to offer some relief. He tried to convey that whatever she did it was okay. How he wished that he could make her understand and that he would always be there to offer a helping hand.  
"Mh… Davenport, davenport davenport Dah.. ah d-davenport.”  
It took her a second to look up at him before her face cracked into a exhausted smile. One that was never shown to the rest of the Bureau. She stood up on shaking legs and offered up her hand. “Come on now lets,” she took a moment to wipe her eyes with her long sleeve and calm her breathing, “let's get you to bed Dav.” Her gentle hand took his as he was lead to his small bedroom to rest for the night.  
===============================================================================  
As the years passed life for Davenport changed drastically- from his memories and functional abilities returning he changed back to himself. The return of his family was what meant the most. Magnus, Taako, Barry, and Lup. The ones he had been the captain and Father figure too. He then spent years at sea traveling the waves before settling down with Merle Highchurch and his two children. He was able to start over after 12 years spent in the dark. But now he found himself being back in a similar pattern he had lived in for so long. The hardest part of being a gnome, dwarf or elf is knowing you live longer than most. Especially humans, whose lives were so incredibly short lived. It had only been four weeks since Magnus had passed away when he left his beachside home to do something he had too.\  
“Lucretia? Your tea is ready, it's still pretty hot to be careful.” His older nasally voice called out as he pushed open the door with his side. Lucretia was much older now, so much older. A woman in her nineties lay only hummed in response. Wrinkled hands took the tea and chapped lips softly blew off the fragrant steam drifting up from the cup that had been handed to her. Davenport took his place by her side in the comfortable armchair, stirring his cup watching has the honey dissolved in the hot liquid,

They shared their tea in a pleasant quiet. But soon Lucretia set hers down and sighed. “Davenport how is Mavis doing?” “Oh, good! Her and Angus are still spending too much time together for Merle's liking.” She laughed softly before it was suppressed by a cough. He couldn't help but reach over and take her hand. Thumb rubbing over the knuckles. “Davenport, is Kravitz coming tonight?” she asked. That question caught him off guard. The reaper Kravitz had come to inform him she didn't have much time left. He paused for a minute before letting out a breath of air. “Probably... I think he is.” He couldn't lie to her. Even if he did she was sharp enough to figure it out. She didn't speak at first and they sat together in this moment, sharing each others company just like they had for so many years.  
“Davenport, I'm sorry for all I did.” he didn't need to hear the end of that. He squeezed her hand gently, and unlike all the times before this time he spoke what he felt. “Lucretia I know who you are, you've been apologizing for forty years. I love you, you mean the world to me. You meant the world to me every day you took care of me. I got the chance to see you grow into such an amazing woman, and…and that's enough for me.” He could feel himself getting choked up. He knew she was going to a good place, Kravitz would ensure it. She looked so happy as her eyes began to drift shut.  
“Davenport I'm going to go to bed now,” she whispered.  
“I'll be right here when you wake up.” he said, knowing she probably didn’t hear him.


End file.
